Clinton Foundation calls attention to gender inequality through No Ceilings initiative

The epidemic of gender inequality perpetuated by the glass ceiling still exists across the globe for women today. Women are earning either higher or equal educational degrees than men, but even with the academic achievement, women are making significantly less money than men and are less likely to work in executive management roles than their male counterparts.

The White House reports on its website that in 2011 a typical 25-year-old woman working full time earned $5,000 less annually than a typical 25-year-old man.

The initiative, led by Hillary and Chelsea Clinton, as well as the Clinton Foundation to advance the full participation of women and girls around the world, evaluates the awareness and progression of women’s rights, and eventually hopes to eliminate the glass ceiling.

“In the U.S., women, especially ethnic minority women have not made the gains hoped by the Civil Rights and Women’s Movement,” said Sharon Hall, department chair of psychology and professor of psychology. “We are still paid less than men by at least $.20 an hour for the exact same job. We have never elected a female president, and our Congress does not represent the population of the U.S.”

The “No-Ceilings” project marks the 20-year anniversary of when Hillary Clinton spoke on women’s rights at the 1995 United Nations Fourth World Conference in Beijing.

“No-Ceilings: The Full Participation Report,” also sponsored by the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation, seeks to purport the gains of women’s rights within the last 20 years and demonstrate the progress that still needs to be made.

For example, the report found that one in three women still suffer from physical or sexual violence, and although child marriage is a violation of human rights, one in four girls will still be married before her 18^th birthday. Furthermore, that such practices deny these child brides the proper education, health and the inalienable right to choose one’s own destiny.

Although more mothers are surviving childbearing today, globally there is still progress to be made on improving the health of pregnant women. The U.S. is one of nine countries worldwide that doesn’t provide paid leave to mothers after they have given birth. The U.S. also ranks second in how many hours women work per day performing domestic jobs without pay, approximately four hours and eight minutes per day.

“The data in the No Ceilings Report show that we are making progress in some areas but that in others, the pace of change has been too slow,” said a spokesperson from the Clinton Foundation.

In an effort to raise awareness to the fact that women are “not there” yet regarding gender equality, the Clinton Foundation and the advertising agency Droga5 collaborated to create the “Not-There” campaign. The campaign, which launched on International Women’s Day, March 8, removed women’s images from famous advertisements, billboards and magazine covers to bring attention to the “no-ceilings” initiative and drive online traffic to the report.

Some of the companies that took part in the campaign were Beats, Conde Nast, Dove, Tresemme, Under Armour and media outlets such as Vogue, Glamour, W Magazine, Self and iHeartMedia.

“We are proud to partner on this effort,” said Droga5 in a press release statement. “We are celebrating International Women’s Day by making the case you need data and the facts to make progress.”

Female celebrities participated in the campaign by taking a stand using social media. Led by Hillary and Chelsea Clinton, celebrities included: Cameron Diaz, Amy Poehler, Lupita Nyong’O and Jessica Alba. The celebrities also starred in a PSA video on gender equality.

Following the release of the report, No Ceilings has outlined 10 priorities for the 21st century to address the gaps identified in the report, remove barriers and create opportunities for women and girls around the world. The priorities include:

1. Ensure autonomy for women and girls in family and civic life.
2. End child marriage and female genital mutilation or cutting (FGM/C).
3. Ensure completion of a quality secondary education.
4. Ensure universal access to sexual and reproductive health and rights.
5. End gender-based violence.
6. Enable women’s participation in conflict prevention, resolution and recovery.
7. Promote women’s roles in protecting and securing our environment.
8. Eliminate barriers to women’s economic participation.
9. Increase women’s leadership.
10. Close the gender gap in information and communication technologies (ICTs) and Science Technology Engineering and Math (STEM).

This problem hasn’t gone without notice at UHCL, and administrators and faculty are investigating the glass ceiling issue here on campus.

“At UHCL we have four associate deans and four deans, all are white males,” Hall said. “Dr. Bill Staples recently funded a consultation by Dr. Abby Stewart from the University of Michigan to come to UHCL and give us some pointers about how to tackle issues of sex and ethnicity in leadership. Three of the four Schools at UHCL are currently involved in writing a National Science Foundation grant to help us restructure our academic home so that women are supported well and can aspire to leadership here.”